Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the project control group which ran his Home Insulation Program, comprising his department, the Deputy Prime Minister’s department as well as the department of the environment. Given that the project control group was designing and directing the implementation of the scheme, did that group water down safety recommendations and will he now admit direct prime ministerial responsibility for the scheme’s failure?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Can I say in response to the honourable member’s question that the policy work which led to the establishment of the Home Insulation Program began in August 2008 and continued through to the launch of the full program 11 months later, on 1 July 2009. Furthermore, in August 2008 the government launched a cross-departmental Energy Efficiency Taskforce. That in turn recommended a national energy efficiency strategy, which in turn had within it a sustainable homes assistance package, worth $2.9 billion. Furthermore, in early 2009 the government developed the Energy Efficient Homes program as part of its Nation Building and Jobs Plan. On 3 February 2009 that package was announced. Between 3 February and 1 July 2009—in response to the member’s question—the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts spent five months designing the final policy implementation.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It will give him a chance to find his place!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the member for O’Connor suggesting that the Prime Minister should thank the member for Sturt? I call the Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister has been asked three specific questions about the home insulation disaster. Each answer has been this dirge of irrelevance. I ask you to ask him to be relevant to the question rather than the blah, blah we are getting.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is responding to the question.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member asked me a question about this project control group. What I was seeking to do was to provide the honourable member with the context within which this group operated. Can I say, in response further to the honourable member’s question, that I am advised the project control group was established in April 2009 to enhance cross-departmental coordination of the project design implementation. I am further advised that this is the normal practice within government—to establish a project control group or interdepartmental committee to develop and implement major projects. Furthermore, the chair of the project control group was the deputy secretary of the department of the environment—

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order: relevance. The question asked whether the project control group watered down safety recommendations.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was one aspect of the question. The Prime Minister has the call.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The chair of that group, as the member for Flinders asked me before, was the deputy secretary of the department of the environment. The member for Flinders asked me questions about its reporting and accountability arrangements. I am simply advising the member for Flinders that the terms of reference of the project control group require the chair or the representative of that group to report to the executive management of the department of the environment. I have nothing before me which would indicate that that group in any way did anything other than the advice that they received on the question of safety standards.

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bowman will resume his seat. I have had two points of order, and the Prime Minister has concluded.